1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of video-conferencing wherein a two-way video and audio system is provided enabling one or more parties at one location to be in communication with one or more parties at another location. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a medically related video-conferencing system that is particularly suited to emergency medical activities and enables a physician at a central location to diagnose and control treatment of patients located at one or more remote medical facilities. Even more specifically, the present invention concerns the use of portable video-conferencing units at each of one or more remote emergency facility locations and having components, such as a video-conferencing CODEC (Compressor/Decompressor), that can be controlled by the physician from the physician's central location to thus enable efficient diagnosis of the patient and to ensure proper treatment of the patient by the medical personnel of the remote facility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although the field of video-conferencing has been under development only in recent years, a number of processes, procedures and interactive communications systems have been developed to enable video-conferencing in a wide variety of commercial environments. Examples of methods and apparatus associated with video-conferencing are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,513 of Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,938 of Maruyama, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,897 of Howell, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,907 of Malloy, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,513 discloses a compact video system in the form of a mobile cart having compartments for containing video and video recording equipment such as a video camera and video recorder as well as a battery for providing a source of electrical power for operation of the video and video recording system (VCR) in remote conditions and to facilitate ease of using the equipment. The mobile cart device is also provided with a camera mount enabling the video camera to be appropriately mounted on the mobile cart for use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,938 discloses television conference apparatus in the form of a mobile cart which has a number of storage compartments within which apparatus such as a video camera, a manuscript table, a fax machine, etc. may be stored and may be subsequently used simply by opening compartment doors, operating lights or positioning equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,881 also discloses a mobile cart within which various video apparatus such as a video monitor, VCR, battery, video camera, etc. may be stored so as to be readily available for use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,907 discloses a video-conferencing unit intended to be mounted to or supported by a video monitor and being designed with a differential signal sensing sound system enabling the video camera, or its lens to be automatically directed to the source of the sound, i.e., such as an individual speaking at a video conference, by the differential sound signal.
An interactive video/audio communications system has also been developed for medical treatment of remotely located patients as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,755. In this case, a medical practitioner's station is in communication with a medical treatment station via video-conferencing apparatus each having video cameras, audio speakers, etc. This particular medical apparatus is particularly designed for ensuring identification of the patient and for ensuring payment for medical services via credit card or insurance card.
When a remotely located patient is being treated, especially during emergency treatment at a remotely located emergency facility, the patient's condition may not be well known. It is thus desirable for a medical practitioner, located at a central facility to have the capability of controlling the orientation of a patient inspection video, including panning up or down, right or left and actuating a zoom feature of the video lens. This feature will permit the medical practitioner remote from the emergency facility to conduct independent patient inspection and to discuss aspects of the patient's condition with the medical personnel and perhaps also with the patient during the time the local medical personnel are engaged in the conduct of independent patient care of treatment activities at the direction of the medial practitioner. It is desirable, therefore, to provide an emergency room video-conferencing system wherein a medical practitioner is enabled via a video-conferencing system to direct medical personnel at several remote locations to treat patients, particularly emergency patients, according to diagnosis and treatment controlled by the medical practitioner and further enabling the medical practitioner to inspect the condition of the patient for the purpose of diagnosis and to observe the medical treatment that is being administered by local staff personnel.
To enable a medical practitioner, especially during emergency conditions, to deliver high quality of medical care to a patient, from the standpoint of close inspection and diagnosis, and to ensure that local medical personnel, such as nursing personnel are enabled to concentrate on patient treatment, rather than expend time and effort manually positioning a video camera or a mobile emergency center cart having a video camera, it is desirable that the medical practitioner have the capability of independently causing the video camera to move as desired for efficient visual inspection of the patient, including close-up viewing of selective portions of the anatomy of the patient. It is also desirable that the medical practitioner have the capability of selectively controlling the video-conferencing camera from a remote location for video-conferencing with the nursing personnel at one or more emergency medical centers and for viewing both the patient and the nursing personnel at such one or more centers to thus ensure delivery of the highest quality medical care to the patient.